Plating skins



Dec. 9, 1930. A. c. BRILL v 1,783,952

PLATING SKINS Fil ed June a; 1926 Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE AUGUST C. BRILL, OF OIBERURSEL, NEARFRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY, AS-

SIGNOR TO THE TURNER TANNING MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE,

A CORPORATION OF MAINE PLATING s xms Application filed June 8, 1926,SerialNo. 114,491, and in Germany August 1, 1925.

This invention relatesto apparatus and methods for treating skins and isherein exemplified in its application to what is commonly termed theplating of skins, that is, to the smoothing or ironing of skins bypressure-applying plates or platens.

The plating of skins has heretofore been commonly performed by the useof presses comprising upper and lower presser members relatively movabletoward and from or creased at or adjacent to their edge portions,particularly along the shank and flank portions of the skins. In the useof presses of the type referred to, difliculty has been experienced ineliminating such creases and Wrinkles and in preventing the formation ofother creases, wrinkles, folds or tucks. It will be readily understoodthat such creases, wrinkles, folds, or tucks in portions of a platedskin are firmly set in the skin and that, as a consequence, the value ofsuch portions is greatly reduced, if not altogether destroyed. Inplating operations as heretofore conducted the operator attempts tosmooth out with his hands the folded or wrinkled portions around theedges of the skin before the plating action of the presser members.While he is fairly successful in this operation there are many instancesin which the fold or wrinkle refuses to stay smoothed-out sufficientlyto prevent a partial wrinkle or'fold appearing in the plated skin. Agreat deal depends on the skill and care of the operator, since thecreases, wrinkles, folds or tucks cannot be held in smoothed-outcondition after the machine starts in operation. Furtherprovided a pressadapted for plating skins and having relatively movable presser members,the transversedimensions of one or both of the presser members beingconsiderably less than the diametric dimensions of the skins to beoperated upon, the plating members being adapted to perform platingoperations step by step upon successive portions-of a skin. In the useof such a press, a skin may safely and conveniently be held by the handsof the operator at each side of and beyond the edges of the pressermember or members in such manner as to smooth out existing creases orwrinkles and to prevent the occurrence of other creases, wrinkles,

tucks or folds in the plated skin. In the illustrated construction, thepresser members are substantially triangular in shape, the widest partof each presser member being substantially shorter than itsgreatestlengthwise dimension. angular shape of the illustrated pressermembers is itself of considerable importance will be readily appreciatedwhen it is understood that in performing plating operations step by steparound the periphery of a skin, in each such operation the peripheralportion of the skin to be plated is of considerably greater extent thanthe portion to be treated in the central part of the skin. In the use ofthe illustrated construction, while the smaller end portions of thepresser members are operating on the central portions of the skin, thewider base portions of the triangularly shaped pressers plate the largerperipheral areas of the skin in the same number of pressing operations.

Further to facilitate the prevention of folds or wrinkles, theco-operating presser members may advantageously have portions of theiroperating surfaces curved in directions extending transversely of thepresser members beginning at a substantial distance That the generallytri-' back from the front ends of the presser members, one pressersurface being concave and the other correspondingly convexly curved. Asshown, the work supporting presser member presents, to the rear of aflat pressure surface, a concave pressure surface and the upper pressermember a correspondingly curved convex surface back of a flat pressuresurface at the front end of the presser member. This construction takesad.- vantage of the fact that the central portion of a skin is normallypractically fiat, while the peripheral portions are normally somewhatrounded in contour. Thus the co-operation of the convex and concavesurfaces of the presser members is particularly eflicient in eliminatingwrinkles or folds in the edge portions of the skin, without danger ofproducing other folds or wrinkles, While the flat portions of thepresser members are adequate to plate the substantially flat centralportions of the skin.

Moreover, since the illustrated presser members are of relatively smalldimensions as compared with the presser members of prior constructionsthe work may be more quickly introduced and hence the machine may beoperated more rapidly than was possible before, so that even with thenecessary repetition of operations upon a single skin to effect properplating thereof the time in- 'volved is more than offset by the improvedresults obtained.

In its method aspect, the present invention resides in plating skins byalternately repeated operations, which comprise tensioning of edgeportions of a skin to efface wrinkles, tucks, or other folded portions,and while maintaining the, tension subjecting the tensioned portions toa smoothing operation.

Other features of the invention and novel combinations of parts will bedescribed in detail in the specification and pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a press showing one embodimentof the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view from above of the triangular presser membersemployed in the machine shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the manner ofoperating on the work;

Fig. 3 is a similar view with the work at a different position from thatshown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section along the line IVIV of Fig. 5 looking inthe direction of the arrows; and

Fig. .5 is a view in side elevation of the presser members showninsection in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be observed that the presstherein shown and designed for plating skins comprises an upper pressermember 10 and a lower presser member 12, the latter serving as a worksupport. For supporting the upper presser member 10 there is provided alever 14 pivoted at 16 and arranged to be operated by a toggle 17. Uponstraightening the toggle 17 the presser member 10 is moved to operativeposition, that is, toward the work on the presser member 12, themovement being such that at the termination thereof the pressure surfaceof presser 10 is substantially in a horizontal plane. The lower pressermember or work support 12 is carried by a piston 18 movable verticallywithin a cylinder 20 through power applied by hydraulic means includinga pipe 22. When the upper presser 10 has been moved to operativeposition, the piston 18 is operated in properly timed relation to liftthe lower presser or work support 12 into pressing relation with respectto the presser 10. The upper presser member 10 is heated by means ofsteam supplied from any convenient source by means of a pipe 24. For amore 'complete disclosure of parts of the press shown in Fig. 1 and notfully shown and described herein reference should be had to LettersPatent No. 981,468 granted Jan. 10, 1911, upon application of F. J.Perkins. It is to'be understood that while the invention is exemplifiedas embodied in apress of the type disclosed in these Letters Patent andin its application to the plating of skins, this is for purposes ofillustration only, since the invention is not limited to embodiment inpresses of this type or to use in plating skins.

The illustrated presser members 10 and 12 have relatively small surfaceareas, being, as

shown in Figs. 2 and 3, considerably smaller in all their transversedimensions than the diametric dimensions of even such small skins as kidand goat skins. The purpose of having the presser members so narrow intheir transverse dimensions is to provide for engagement of only aportion of the work during each pressing or plating operation so thatthe hands of the operator may be engaged with the work on each side ofthe presser members to keep the work and particularly the edges of thework smoothed out whereby any crease, wrinkle, fold or tuck is effacedprior to the pressing or plating operation without danger of formingother plates or wrinkles; It is preferable to begin the work of platingby introducing the butt end of the skin and then shifting to one flankportion or the other as may be most convenient for the operator and thusprogressively plating the skin step by step until the circuit of theperipheral portions of the skin has been made. It will be observed thatin Fig. 2 a skin 30 has been operated upon to such an extent as toremove all of the creases, wrinkles, folds or tucks from the buttportion 32 and that a which the work may be presented to the press andalso because of the size of the press itself, the operations may berepeated with considerably greater rapidity than would be the case withlarger presses and larger work. The high quality of the work more thanmakes up for any difference in quantity produced w th the employment ofprior constructions w1th which the plating was accomplished in one ortwo steps. It will be observed that the presser members 10 and 12 areroughly triangular in shape in plan view with the front end 50 of eachpresser member somewhat rounded and with all of the transversedimensions of the presser members (including the medlan transversedimension 51) considerably shorter than the median longitudinaldimension thereof. It is clear that the herein disclosed method ofoperating to plate a skin, involving as it does ,a step by step platingoperatlon around the periphery of the skin where the wrinkles, folds ortucks occur, provldes or calls for a greater plating area around theperipheral pdrtions of the skin than 1n the central portions thereof.Hence while the smaller end portion 50 is operating upon the middle orcentral portions of the skin, the

wider portions of the triangular presser -members take care of thelarger areas of the peripheral portions in the same number of pressingoperatons. In operating the machine it will be understood that in eachsucceeding plating or pressing operation a portion previously pressed orplated 1s overlapped to insure that no line of demarcatlon will appearto mar the surface of the fimshed work. In most classes of work the skinwill be presented with the grain side up to receive directly the platingaction of the heated presser 10. I

When it is recalled that skins, when in the form of leather, retain muchof the curved contour of the body of the animal from which the skin wasobtained, .it will be readily understood that the middle or centralportions of a skin are apt to be fairly flat while the flank portionsand even portions of the head and neck are naturally curved in contour,so that when a skin is placed upon a flat surface the middle portionsalong the backbone line will lie flat upon the surface while of theskin. It is the presence of these wrinkles, folds and tucks that make itso difiicult to plate an entire skin at one operation, and this isparticularly true with kid and goat skins. As a matter of fact there wasalways some crease or fold or tuck which did not flatten out when thepresser members were operated in the machines of prior constructions,with the result that a tuck or fold was set permanently in the platedmarginal portion of the skin, thus reducing the value of the skin verymaterially especially if there were many such plated creases or folds ina given skin. With the triangularly shaped presser members disclosed inFigs. 2 and 3, it is possible for the operator to hold each successiveedge portion in' extended condition, thus eliminating wrinkles, folds ortucks before and during a pressing and plating operation.

A modified construction of presser membersis shown at 60, 62 in Figs. 4and 5, and is p based upon the fact that the central port-ion of a skinis practically flatwhile the peripheral portions are made up of portionsrounded in contour, as already described. In other words, the flank orskirt portions are fuller, that is, of greater extent, than thecentrallongitudinal portion with which they are integral. Since the middleportion of the skin is flat, flat surfaces 64, 66 (Fig. 5) are retainedin the front end portions 70 of the presser members 60, 62, the endportion 7 0 of the presser members 60, 62 corresponding to the endportion 50 of the presser members 10 and 12. For contacting with andoperating upon the flank or skirt portions of the skin there is providedon the upper presser member 60, merging into the flat-surface 64, acurved surface 72 which is convex and adapted to fit into acomplementally curved concave surface at 7 4 which merges into the flatsurface 66 in the lower presser member or work support 62. This concavesurface 74 on the presser 62 is formed in part by extensions or flanges75 integral with the presser. It is to be understood that the pressermembers 60 and 62 are triangular in shape in plan view as are thepresser members 10 and 12. Because of the shape of the co-operatingsurfaces 7 2, 74 the fuller flank portions 34,38 of a hide 30 areoperated upon most effectively at the same time that the flat portion inthe middle part of the skin is operated upon by the fiat portions 64, 66at the forward ends 70 of the same presser members. Conveniently, theupper presser member is heated by means of steam passed through passages80 in the body of the presser member.

In the operation of the machine a skin,

' such as that shown at 30, is placed, preferably tion for the firstpressing operation, the hands of the 0 erator beingengaged in holdingthe -I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In apress for treating small skins, a Work supporting member and aco-operating presser member having parallel surfaces when in operativeposition and relatively movable in a direction toward and from eachother in straight-line reciprocation during pressing operations, saidpresser member having a pressure surface the greatest transversedimension of Whichis considerably less than the diametric dimensions ofkid skins to permit the operator to grasp a skin upon each side of thepresser member to exert tension thereon during a pressing operation.

2. In a press for plating small skins, a pair of triangularly shapedpresser members having coextensive pressure surfaces for engagingopposite sides of a skin to plate the same, the median transversedimension of one of the presser members being considerably less than thediametric dimensions of the kid skins to permit the operator to grasp askin upon each side of the presser members to exert tension thereonduring a pressing operation.

3. In a press for plating hides, skins, and pieces of leather, a pair oftriangularly shaped presser members having coextensive pressure surfacesfor engaging opposite sides of a piece ofwork to press the same, thegreatest transverse dimension of the pressure applying surface of eachpresser member being considerably less than the longitudinal dimensionthereof, and means for relatively operating the presser members.

4. In a press for plating skins, a pair of presser members havingrespectively a concave and a complementally curved convex surface foraccommodation of curved body portions of a skin and for co-operationwith each other'in pressing a skin to obtain a smooth surface, and meansfor causing relative straight line reciprocation of the presser membersin a'direction from and toward each other to effect a plating of theskin.

5. In a press for plating skins, a pair of presser members havingrespectively a concave and a complementally curved convex surface foraccommodation of curved body portions'of a skin and for co-operationwith each other in pressing a piece of work, the concave and the convexpressure-applying surfaces being each triangular in'shape.

6. In a press for pressing work suchas leather, a triangularl shapedwork support having a concave sur ace, and a triangularly shaped presserfor co-operation with the Work support in a pressing operation, thepresser having a convex surface substantially complemental to theconcave surface of the Work support.

7. A press for plating small skins through successive operations onmarginal portions thereof comprising presser members provided withtriangularly shaped pressure applying surfaces each having a maximumtransverse dimension substantially less than the longitudinal dimensionthereof, the presser members having complementally curved .00- operatingconcave and convex surfaces for operating on successive portions of theskin.

8. In a press for plating skins or leather, a support having a concavepressing surface, said support having extensions for increasing the sizeof the concave pressing surface to accommodate the full skirt portionsof the skin being operated upon, and a presser having a convex surfacecurved complementally to the concave surface of the support.

.9. In a press for treating skins or leather, a work support having aconcave surface, a presser having a correspondingly curved convexsurface for co-operation with the concave surface of the support, thefront end portions of both work support and presser having flatco-operating pressure surfaces.

10. In a press for pressing work such as skins or leather, a worksupport having a flat and a concave surface, and a presser forco-operation with the work support in a pressing operation, the presserhaving a flat surface and also a convex surface substantiallycomplemental to the concave surface of the work support, whereby theflat and curved surfaces substantially conform to the various surfacecontours of the leather.

11. In a press for plating leather, a work support having a concavesurface, a presser having a complementally curved convex surface forco-operation with the concave surface of the support, said work supportand presser bein triangular in shape with apical ends projecting towardthe front of the press, and having co-operating flat surfaces at theirfront apical ends, and means for relatively operating the work supportand the presser.

12. In a press for plating skins, a support having a concave surface, apresser having a convex surface curved complementally to the concavesurface of the support, said surfaces being constructed and arranged toaccommodate the full skirt portions of a skin, and means for heating thepresser.

13. That improvement in methods of plating skins which comprisestensioning ed e portions of a skin to eiface wrinkles, tuc rs or otherfolded portions, and while main- I 14. That improvement in methods ofplating skins which comprises, tensioning edge portions of a skin toefiace wrinkles, tucks or other folded portions, subjecting thetensioned edge portions of the skin to a smoothing operation whilemaintainin the tension thereon, and simultaneously t erewith smoothingcentral portions of the skin which are normally fiat and free fromwrinkles, folds or tucks.

15. That improvement in methods of plating skins which comprises,tensioning edge portions of the skin to eiface wrinkles, tucks or otherfolded portions, subjecting the tensioned edge portions to a smoothingoperation while maintaining the tension, simultaneously therewithsmoothing a relatively smaller portion of the skin located in thecentral portion thereof, and repeating the operations in each of which alarger area in the peripheral portion of the skin is treatedsimultaneously with a smaller area in the central portion of the skin sothat the larger peripheral portions of the skin and the smallcr centralportion of the skin are completed 2 in the same number of operations.

16. In a press for treating kid skins, a pair of presser members movablein straight line reciprocation relatively to each other for engagingopposite sides of a skin to be treated, one of the presser membershaving a pressure surface of an area considerably smaller than the areaof the kid skins to be treated so that edge portions of the kid skin maybe held by the hands of the operator on oppoiite sides of thesmall-surfaced presser mem- 17. In a press for treating a class of skinscharacterized by similarity in size and con-, tour, a pair of pressermembers movable, in straight line reciprocation relatively to each otherfor engaging o posite sides of a skin to be treated, one o the pressermembers being of triangular shape with "a transverse median dimensionwhich is considerably less thanthe diametric dimensions of each skin ofthe class intended for treatment in the ress so that edge ortions ofeach skin ma e held by the ban s of the operator on eac aide of thetriangularly shaped presser memr. 18. In a machine for treating skinsthrough successive operations, a work support, and a triangularly shapedpresser member having a portion near the apex of the triangle forapplying pressure to a part of the central portion of a skin, and havinga broader portion adjacent to or at the base of the triangle adapted totreat a larger part of the larger peripheral portions of the skin,whereby the larger peripheral portions of the skin are operated upon inthe same number. of operations required to complete the smaller centralportion of the skin.

19. In a machine for treating a class of in. the press so that edgeportions of each skin may be held'b the hands of the operator on eachside 0 the triangularly shaped presser members, and means or causingintermittent operation of the presser members whereby successiveportions of both the cen tral and peripheral parts of the skin may besimultaneously treated to complete the treatment of all portions of theskin.

20. That im rovement in methods of plating skins whic comprisestensionin a skin to efl'ace wrinkles, tucks, or other folded portions,and While maintaining the tension subjecting the skin to a pressingoperation.

21. That improvement in methods of plating skins which comprisessupporting a portion of a skin on a fiat surface and simultaneouslytherewith tensioning another portion of theskin over a conical surface,and subjecting the fiat and the tensioned portions of the skin topressure to effect plating of r the skin.

22. That improvement in methods of plating skins which comprises placinga skin over a fiat surface which merges into a conical surface,arranging the skin so that the conical surface points in a directiontoward the center of the skin, tensioning a portion of the skin bycausing it to conform to the conical surface, and subjecting the flatand the tensioned portions of the skin to pressure and to heat on onesurface thereof while the tensioned portion is retained in the conicalform, whereby wrinkles, folds or tucks are efl'aced and the skin is setin a smooth sheet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

AUGUST 0. BRILL.

